Probing Fundamental Physics With Cosmology

新的精确天文观测刺激了“和谐”的发展。宇宙模型，基于膨胀理论，宇宙中的能量有三种组成部分：普通物质、暗物质和暗能量。该模型受到各种高质量的独立测量的约束，如大尺度结构、宇宙微波背景（CMB）、引力透镜、轻元素的原始丰度和作为标准蜡烛的ia型超新星。拟议研究的目标是开发和应用理论技术，利用宇宙学观测来约束早期宇宙的物理，特别关注暴胀的成功范例。通货膨胀?s关于高斯、绝热、几乎尺度不变的宇宙学扰动的基本预测已经被最近的数据，特别是WMAP 3年的数据集完美地证实了。接下来的观测有可能提供足够精确的数据，以测试简单的最低阶描述之外的暴胀。本文提出了在未来数据中可能检测到的四种新物理信号：密度功率谱特征、原始引力波、原始非高斯和等曲率波动。这项研究的目的是在观测数据和暴胀模型的一些特性之间建立详细和定量的联系。基于高精度的宇宙学数据，人们希望回答一些基本问题，如宇宙的起源，引力与量子力学的统一，以及真空的量子力学性质。建议的项目将有研究生和本科生参与的重要机会。公众对宇宙学有广泛的兴趣。PI计划在大学和社区活动中进行关于宇宙学的公开讲座。

New precision Astronomical observations have spurred the development of a ?concordance? cosmological model, based on inflation and having three components to the energy present in the universe: ordinary matter, dark matter, and dark energy. The model is constrained by a variety of high-quality, independent measurements such as large-scale structure, the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), gravitational lensing, the primordial abundances of light elements, and Type-IA Supernovae used as standard candles. The objective of the proposed research is to develop and apply theoretical techniques that use cosmological observations to constrain the physics of the early universe, focusing specifically on the successful paradigm of inflation. Inflation?s basic predictions of Gaussian, adiabatic, nearly scale-invariant cosmological perturbations have been beautifully confirmed by recent data, in particular the WMAP 3-year data set. Upcoming observations have the potential to provide data accurate enough to test inflation beyond a simple lowest-order description. This proposal focuses on four possible signals of new physics which might be detected in future data: Features in the density power spectrum, Primordial gravitational waves, primordial non-Gaussianity and Isocurvature fluctuations.The proposed research is designed to make detailed and quantitative connections between observational data and several properties of inflationary models. Based on high-precision cosmological data one hopes to answer fundamental questions such as the origin of the universe, the unification of gravitation with quantum mechanics, and the quantum-mechanical nature of the vacuum. The proposed project will have significant opportunities for participation by graduate and undergraduate students. There is wide public interest in cosmology. The PI intends to give public lectures on Cosmology at university and community events.